13/06/2023 | Writer: Selma Koçak
Following the attack at Ege University, police also attacked LGBTI+ Pride Picnic held by İzmir Democracy University students. Two LGBTI+ activists from Colors of Resistance were detained.
Police attacks against Pride Month are going on unabatedly. LGBTI+s are gathering together in order to celebrate Pride Month all across the world on one hand, and bans and police attack gradually increase on the other hand.
The last destination of police attacks during Pride Month was İzmir. Direnişin Renkleri (Colors of Resistance) İzmir Democracy University (İDÜ) wanted to organize a Pride Picnic. They were going to have picnic today (June 13) in İnciraltı. However police blockade started both on the university campus and in the picnic area, hours before the picnic time.
Police threatened LGBTI+s, who went to İnciraltı to make preparations for the picnic planned. Then they detained two of the students by using violence. Their friends couldn’t take information from the detained LGBTI+s for a while.
The detained students were taken to the Balçova Police Headquarters. They are expected to be released after their testimony.
Stating that İzmir Police committed a crime, Colors of Resistance condemned the police attack targeting their friends:
“As LGBTI+ students of İzmir Democracy University, our #İDÜOnurPikniği (İDÜ Pride Picnic) was prevented on the pretext that it would ‘turn into a demonstration’. Release our detained friends! We will not allow you to arbitrarily prevent Pride Picnics!”
This is not the first attack against a picnic in İzmir!
2nd Ege Pride Picnic, which planned to be carried out on June 2nd, was openly threatened by some organizations such as Youth Union of Turkey (TGB), Turkish Youth Foundation (TÜGVA) and New Welfare Party.
İzmir Bar Association formed a crisis desk and held meetings with Security Directorate and Rectorate of Ege University. 2nd Ege Pride Picnic was postponed after the Security Directorate and Private Security Force stated that they would not ensure the safety of LGBTI+ students.
Police also attacked LGBTI+ students from Ege University, who gathered at Free Platform in front of the İzmir Bar Association to make a press statement regarding the threats, by saying “We can allow only 2-3 of you, we don’t want to see more of you here.”
LGBTI+ activists and Bar Association lawyers were beaten by the police. Despite the police attempting to prevent the statement from being heard by blocking in front of the Bar Association, 2nd Ege Pride Picnic activists were able to read their press statement.
Tags: human rights
